Tag Archives: self help

I had a dream the other night. A man in a turban dressed in many layers like a Middle Easterner or even a Tibetan said one sentence to me: “The pond is large.” Crazy as it sounds, I understood him right away. I answered with: “God is great.” He nodded and left. This was a message to me and I’ve done my best to ponder it. The answer to this riddle goes something like this: the pond is the world and everything in it, seen and unseen. He was telling me you see, that I should stop sweating the small (or even large) stuff because I am not in charge and it is not in my control. More importantly he was saying that there is room for everything: every opinion, every happening, every emotion, everyone. My answer was to let him know that I understood that it is the God/Goddess/Great Spirit (whoever we want to embrace) that is the one in charge. I know why I dreamed this, I have been working very hard to get my first book published and along with a billion other writers, I am finding out just how hard that is. The message was for me to keep trying the best I can but at the end of the day it’s out of my hands. “Try and relax kiddo.”

No doubt about it, dreams are funny, intangible, ethereal things which, upon waking, vanish like fog in the morning sun. Yet they can be much more than the brain’s nightly entertainment; they can be a pictorial key to understanding our interior life.

As we travel through our day we operate out of the left side of our brain, the part of our brain that employs the ego. The ego is all about the “I” as in: what do I want? The left brain is also the language center, it talks to us, telling us what we should do or say to get what we need to feel us safe and happy. It uses rational and logic, taking everything one step at a time while collaborating with time and memory to keep us functioning in an organized way. While we are awake the left part of our brain is in charge of daily life.

When we are asleep, however, the logical side of our brain lets its rational guard down and the right side, the “we” side with its emotional, pictorial and symbolically-oriented mode of operation flows freely – creating dreams.

During the night these two opposing camps carry on long, important conversations – sharing information and restoring a balance between the rational and irrational sides of being human. In today’s culture there is great importance placed on the things the left brain does while the right brain’s talents have been trivialized. Yet dreams are part of a complicated system that promotes emotional, mental and physical well-being. We do them a disservice if we dismiss them as simple fairy stories we tell ourselves while in the land of Nod. Dreams pull left brain thought and experiences in and run them through right brain filters that tell us what we really think and how we really feel about the world.

Motivations of dreams

We dream for different reasons

1) To release tension, to register our discomfort and see or understand what we are currently dealing with

2) To process and integrate things that have happened to us.

3) To process and integrate information given to us during the day, the ramifications of which, we haven’t had time to consider.

4) To actually learn or acquire more information that wasn’t getting through in our waking hours. This can be the result of left brain interference or blockage, or the unique nature of some information, best understood through pictures or impressions.

5) In addition to number 4, there are what I call spiritual, message or even magic dreams. These are dreams that seem to come from outside us. They don’t seem to stem from our recognizable personalities. Strangers show up; garbed in exotic clothes, they could perform ritualistic movements, give us items or gifts, remind us of things we’ve forgotten, or say things to us that we’ve never even thought of before. They can shock us or inspire us but these characters almost always have an important message for us. This is the category my “turban man” dream falls in. You wake up changed in some way.

Dream interpretation

Back in the 70s, when dream interpretation hit the big time, we had an influx of help-yourself dream books published. They may help you get started thinking symbolically but they aren’t really much help in the long run. These books are someone else’s ideas of generic cultural norms and they may not be yours. Two people dream of a snake. One person hates and fears snakes and the other thinks they are fascinating, how is the interpretation going to be the same for each?

The best way to interpret your dreams is through common sense and trust in your own ideas. You know what snakes mean to you and that is the best route to take for an insightful, truthful interpretation.

Reoccurring dreams are chronic fears or chronic problems that the brain considers a threat to the human unit. Whether it’s a psychological deficiency that the mind is trying to improve upon or something physically out of joint, harmful, or scary, dreaming is done to bring up awareness and even offer (sometimes very unpopular) solutions.

Real Life Examples

I had a less-than-confident girlfriend years ago who dreamed repeatedly she was a passenger in a small plane. She woke up terrified because the pilot, a faceless male, was always flying and the plane was always crashing.

I asked her why she didn’t take control and fly the plane herself: “Why aren’t you driving? It’s your plane, and it’s your life.”

She spent a month or so analyzing her attitude of deference to others, especially to the male population; and, then she had her breakthrough: she dreamed she was in the pilot’s seat and the plane didn’t go down.

In this case, her brain was showing her in graphic detail a basic flaw in her character that needed attention. When all was said and done it didn’t radically alter her personality, but it helped her to see the truth about herself and take some new steps for a personal growth spurt. Through her reoccurring dream, she gained an awareness of how she unconsciously operated and also learned how these unconscious attitudes could potentially harm her.

During the day, our rational mind does a lot of gymnastic handstands to convince us that everything we’re doing is fine and there’s no need to upset our routine. Yet, dreams are remarkable in their ability to cut the crap and get to the chase.

Also many years ago, a new boss came on board at a company I worked for. The man was a total Nazi and life at the office became intolerable. Still, I clung to the job for all the usual rational reasons – even after my health began to seriously suffer.

I was toughing it out. I was sure I could do it; and, besides, I wasn’t going to let him win anyway. After several months of agony I had a very bad dream: screaming demons were threatening to devour me. Not knowing what action I should take within this dream I decided to try prayer, instinctively making a grab for something I was sure had the power to eradicate them. To my shock and surprise, their horrific voices only got louder and when it became very clear they were going to overwhelm me, I was the one who woke up screaming.

My dream was telling me in no uncertain terms that no matter what, I didn’t have the power to fix this – my life had become a literal nightmare and the time to make a change was long overdue. I began to make arrangements to change my job but it turned out that what I really needed to change was the way I reacted to authority. Once I stood up to this man everything was different and I didn’t have to switch jobs. This dream made an enormous difference in my life.

Through dreams the subconscious can get “air time” for very important messages – messages that can be of great benefit to well-being of the entire human body. All we need do to take advantage of this is to hear them.

Dreams are your psychiatric assistants’

Keep in mind, though, that the brain doesn’t run a movie channel for psychiatric self- help every night of the week. If we are doing pretty well, our dreams can get so boring we don’t even remember them. That’s okay, but if you’re getting a nightly kick in the head, something is wrong and the mind/body/spirit is desperately trying to get you to recognize it and heal yourself. If you never remember your dreams there are lots of books out there that have exercises in them to help you.

Dreams are always on our side, so stop and give some serious attention to what the other side of your brain is saying; the one that uses symbols and can’t speak in words, because as they say: a picture is worth a thousand of them.

As I said in my introduction, I think one of the biggest lies of this life is that all its really meaningful moments are big events: getting married, touring Europe, having a baby, playing the palace, or making executive manager. For many of us unless we can point to something really substantial happening to us every week we have no idea we’re living at all!

Isn’t that why we idolize movie stars, football players and rock singers? It isn’t just the fact that they might have talent; it’s that we are enamored of their lifestyle. We spend time fanaticizing about what it must be like to live the grand life, a life of largess so spectacular and exciting. So, if we’re on the talk show circuit, our life has been validated. The rest of us are just wanna-bes, what’s left behind when the shiny ones step up on the platform of public acknowledgement. Then there’s the inevitable confusion when we read about one coming home and taking a bottle of pills to end it. Are they trying to tell us something? I don’t consider the famous that fortunate. Most of them have very little private time and they lose the thread to their own heart.

Real life is all that stuff in between big events and most of our time is spent there. Day to day life, that’s what really interests me because it’s where the meaning is. It’s the pith and the point of it all. Yet, we have very little respect for every day life at the moment. It’s considered small and trivial.

I am passionate about daily life, connecting the dots of one mundane moment to the next, all I’ve seen to what I’ve read to who I am today and then watching it all play out in my world. Being able to ask myself: “Did I do that well?” “What do I think about that? Can I do it better next time?” The conscious awareness that every intention, every step I take, carries in it the face of my future, is a constant source of fascination.

Each moment of every day holds a challenge to know myself. A chance to try and:

Be totally honest without hurting anyone’s feelings

Take responsibility for my choices and actions

Allow everyone else to be who they are

Relate to others on a meaningful level

Face a fear by doing something I avoid

Create without anxiety

Keep my balance emotionally, mentally, and physically

Heal the past

Value all that I have

Change what I don’t like about myself

Learn to accept what is hard-wired into my psyche

Nurture my physical body to stay healthy

These goals can be extremely challenging, more than enough to keep me busy or engaged in my life. Everyone has their own list of course. Someone else’s challenges might look quite different from mine. All we need is a little self- knowledge and we know right away what to place on our list.

What we do and say that day can be weighed against our list. However, I don’t feel too bad if I blow it today. There’s always tomorrow! I am not perfect. The list isn’t supposed to stress me out or undermine my confidence. It’s something to aspire to, not a way to punish myself. It should be almost fun. Life is just a constant challenge to get it right. When we have a day where we’ve met some of our personal goals it’s the equivalent of winning an award. Other people may not realize what we’ve done, but we sure do.

Besides, going through a day meeting everyone’s eyes can be like climbing Mount Fuji to someone who’s shy. Strapping on some downhill skis despite your fear of heights pushes some people way beyond their borders. Giving up your wants in favor of a friend’s is tantamount to getting the key to the executive washroom when you’re inclined to be a bit self-centered. You’ve just earned a personal promotion and don’t it feel good?

We have no role models for this kind of activity in America, our culture admires people for what they can do or have done, not who they are. There is no expectation of honor or integrity that the people in the limelight must live up to, nothing internal they must be…to be admired. As long as they can pass that football, every bad boy jerk in the world gets his photo on the cover of Time. In fact it makes for better copy if they are less than savory, or even downright obnoxious!

Things that really give life meaning don’t necessarily garner recognition like diplomas or letters tacked to the end of a name. The attainment of some pinnacle of outward success is meant to be the icing on an already richly layered cake. It is the process that is important, not the results. That’s why winning the lottery doesn’t resolve a life automatically making that person happy for the rest of their life.

The not-so-measurable achievements of keeping pure of heart in a corrupt world, holding onto integrity while those in authority reward dishonesty, treachery, and greed or trying to get what I want without further polluting the environment or disrespecting another’s space is quite enough of a power-trip for me.

It does follow that as we change and grow and move ahead psychologically our outside life catches up and reflects that, but not immediately. The process may take years. It doesn’t mean those years are wasted, that they aren’t important. Just because we don’t have anything tangible to show for it so far, there’s no need to panic. The growth may all be internal. It all counts, every step: everything counts.

Of course if you can recall every plot line of Desperate Housewives and the names of all the microbrews you’ve tried this year, perhaps you are wasting your time and need a change, but as long as you have an intention is to live it well, a good life is almost guaranteed.

When I look back on last year, it isn’t just about what I’ve done. Sure, it feels good to see things happening, to see the tangible results of hard work. Bragging rights are fun, but the true work and the best accomplishments always take place inside of me. The best results are measured by how much satisfaction I now get from my life. Hopefully, I am getting smarter, braver, and kinder: that’s what will lead me to experience more joy and satisfaction!

Nothing is wasted, everything counts. With or without outward recognition, when lived with intention, with vision, and in detail, every-day life is the most heart thumping, emotionally exhausting, head crazy thing there is. It’s a ride and if we’re living it right, it’s an E-ticket one.

Here in the Northwest winter has finally come to call. She must’ve mislaid her invitation somewhere (if she ever had one) as she is very late. I don’t mind really, as far as I am concerned she needn’t have bothered. For most of us the winter season is far from our favorite. In the pastoral calendar of old, December 23rd otherwise known as the winter solstice, was considered midwinter. Coincidentally (or maybe not) that is the date that our Sun changes signs from adventurous Sagittarius to serious Capricorn.

This happening has an effect on the human population. If your birthday is anywhere from (approx) Dec 23rd to Jan 21styour Sun sign is Capricorn and all the honors and tribulations that go along with that sign are yours. Yet, it isn’t just native Capricorns getting all the fun, for one solid month we are all complimentary Capricorns because we have to deal with the Saturnian energy the sun is shoveling in. Saturn is Capricorn’s ruling planet. You might call it the boss. Saturn would like that and it’s always preferable to stay on a bosses good side. Saturn is one of astrology’s more infamous planets. It has a reputation for being difficult to deal with. Well what boss isn’t? Saturn isn’t as threatening as it is demanding, just as winter is demanding. Winter can turn threatening too if we are grow unconscious or lazy toward it. Saturn (and winter) has a lot of expectations. At certain times of our lives there are rules applied and we are expected to color within the lines and make the most of it. One thing that winter and Saturn have in common is that during their reign we can’t cut loose and do whatever we want. If we try speeding down icy roads it isn’t going to end well, we’re going to get hurt.

There are other rules in life that aren’t as physically obvious but breaking them can end up hurting us just as much. Another word for rules is responsibility. Saturn asks: who or what are we responsible for? If this responsibility is right and true for us to accept then how can we find joy while meeting the demands? Lastly, what are the consequences for us if we chuck it all anyway and run? This is part of what Saturn has to teach us. During the winter we all get to try on temporary versions of this kind of energy because responsibility is being imposed on us by outside seasonal conditions rather than through our birth charts, lives or transits. We feel (or should feel) the “rules of the road” this time of year. A time to pull in, take stock and recognize what is important enough to drive through a blizzard to and what is not. Scarcity is the order of the day. Everything from what is in season and affordable at the grocery store, to how much time do I have before it gets dark outside to how much energy am I going to have left after shoveling the driveway and thawing pipes? It isn’t even practical to be away from home for very long as the bitter cold can turn small mishaps back at the ranch into major problems quicker than you can say: “Jack Frost.”

There is no changing the weather, but one may change their attitude and consequently their actions and that is where astrology comes in handy. Understanding what is being asked of you and why can provide an answer to the question of: “Just what kind of joy can I get from responsibility?”

In astrology the answer to one signs dilemmas or extremes is its opposite sign. That is, the sign that is 180 degrees from it on both the astrological wheel and the wheel of the year. The opposite of January is July and the opposite of Capricorn is Cancer.

Now another plug for my assertion that astrologers include Earth in their astrological studies:once again Earth has something to contribute to these situations because when the Sun is in a sign our Earth is in the opposite sign. The Sun is the active principle here meaning, that it is the Sun’s dynamic (and the sign it is in) that is dominating our lives every month, the outside force to be reckoned with at this moment. Being stable and slightly inert the Earth has the passive principle. Caught in winter’s claw the Earth can’t really do a whole lot but hunker down and neither can we. This is our first hint of guidance. A passive role also includes our inside energy, the psychological attitude we need to cultivate and our reaction to this dynamic Sun energy that is snowing on our parade. In other words the Earth sign, being the opposite of the Sun sign at any given time shows the creatures of Earth how best to deal with the Sun’s present energy level or color.

Let’s look at the energetic signature of the sign of Cancer. Cancer is known for a penchant to pull in when a situation threatens and assess the emotional temperature around them for the purpose of getting a better bead on things. As a result their natural intuition gives them the ability to instinctively know the best time to take their next step.

Cancer is also famous for its extreme nurturing abilities. According to Dictionary.com to nurture is “to support and encourage or to feed and protect” Also covered is training and education for the development of oneself.

When the year swings around and the Sun is in the sign of Cancer (and the Earth in Capricorn) we experience the other seasonal temperature extreme here on Earth: high summer. It follows that in July we then look to Capricorn for the right psychological mindset and emotional mood to align ourselves with. Here we have a see-saw like pattern unfolding:

In January, Capricorn Sun: Peak of Winter, freezing cold and bitter outside? Cancer Earth: Regroup and make plans and nurture them. Develop and deepen your talents or even train yourself in a new specialty. Stay indoors and nurture you, your home, your family and friends and maybe a business idea or two. Reconnect with all indoor and internal levels and ideas.

In July, Cancer Sun: Peak of summer. Emotions are running high, family and friends actively coming for a visit. Need a retreat? Capricorn Earth: Take charge, organize and defer. Throw yourself into work and career, plans and projects should be at their highest operational level now.

However like its mirror image winter, the sweltering hot days of summer can hold some similar restrictions too. Recognize that this time of year is not the time to spread yourself too thin or run too fast, you’ll collapse with heat stroke. Get all your plates in the air and then kick back a little in the afternoon. Wine cooler on the patio with a lively guest anyone?

The planet Saturn, like the winter season, represents a limiting set of circumstances and high expectations whether it’s one month a year or as in our natal charts: throughout our entire lifetime. Yet if we heed the message in the medium of astrology, paying close attention to opposites, marrying the active outgoing principle of the Sun and the attitudinal passive principle of the Earth (in the signs of Capricorn and Cancer respectively, this time of the year), if we work within that criteria we can meet Saturn’s expectations with a song in our hearts. Then Saturn rewards us for a job well done. We will establish ourselves as serious and successful workers who can handle life’s adversities with know-how and great timing while sporting the support system of a strong foundational home-life of family and friends. Happy Winter!

We are a month behind weather-wise in the inland Northwest. It all started with a very cold and rainy spring that really never let up until sometime in early July. We were probably the only place in the country fairly cool all summer. However, now that September is here, we are having our August temperatures at last. In the northern hemisphere August is usually everyone’s hottest month. Appropriately, the sun is in charge of August in astrology because it is the ruling planet of Leo. Most sun sign Leos are born in August. In the public arena it is specifically the sun and sun sign astrology that gets the most press (That should please all the Leos out there.) Everyone is familiar with their sun sign. When we look at the sun symbolically it is representative of the center of the self or, our home base of operations, a touchstone for all that we are in this lifetime, and it governs our self expression, so after all, this is a pretty important piece of the personality to consider.

Besides being a powerful planet in its own right, sometimes the sun can actually be over emphasized in a person and of course that would be reflected in the natal chart. The most common ways a planetary energy can get ramped up are:

1) The sign the sun is in at time of birth can make it stronger

2) Where it is placed in a natal chart, especially when on the cusp of the angular houses 1st, 4th, 7th, or 10th

3) By aspect: a planet’s power can be increased (or decreased) by its association with other planets

But when it comes to this “planet” you don’t need to be an astrologer to observe someone with stronger sun energy flowing through their chart. Just like the August sun they are quite noticeable! There is a line from the movie Jurassic Park that describes this situation quite well. In an early scene when the guests are being introduced in the helicopter, Dr. Hammond the park curator, has this to say about one of them:

“You’ll have to get used to Dr. Malcolm he suffers from a deplorable excess of personality.” Have you ever encountered someone like that? When they walk into a room they will take the conversation over. You may admire the way they unabashedly light up the room and never apologize for being who they are. They may be funny, clever or just very entertaining. They’ll delight in being the center of attention and even make you feel somehow special. When it comes to life, they are “all in.”

Sometimes though, the intensity of that sun can also create the loudest or even the most obnoxious person you’ve ever met. (At least you will remember them!) Like the hottest summer sun they can be overwhelming, unrelenting, and exhausting wearing you down until you run for the shade.

There was a joke going around several years ago and it went like this: “This life is a test, it is only a test. If this had been a real life you would have been given instructions as to where to go and what to do.” It was very funny because so many of us feel we came into this world without a manual. So where can we go or who can we ask to give us a sense of what we have been put here to do? The answer is: The North Node. The only place I know to get this valuable information is with a natal chart in hand. The moon’s nodes (both north and south) mark the pathway where the moon crosses the sun creating sensitive points in a chart. When reading a chart they are the indicators of the native’s past (South Node) and their future (North Node). The sign the South Node is in tells what kind of energy and activity has been done to death and needs no further investment of that person’s time. The North Node’s sign tells the bearer what will give them a feeling of novelty and excitement because it is a new concept to them. By studying and following the sign indicators of their North Node the native can actually receive instructions on where to go and what to do in this life! There are lists of careers for every sign of course, but beyond that, one may simply cultivate an attitude and develop a playbook that matches the sign of their “North” and feel a certain satisfaction, a rare frisson everywhere they go. My North Node is in Sagittarius, a sign of higher learning and philosophy. I notice when I blindly take on projects that make my heart beat a little faster or things that promote my chosen career, if I check back on that moment transit-wise my North Node is throwing a party and has invited quite a few friends. When I started this blog the North Node in the sky was on my own NNode.Neptune currently traveling through my 10th house made a nice sextile to my NNode and the Sun, Mercury and Venus (in the 4th) were all trining it. Nice indicators of communicating with my fellow human beings spiritually orientated musings and (hopefully) having a positive impact on not only them, but myself as well. Nothing like getting a little astrological cheer-leading from the sidelines.

Many of the entries in this blog will be about Transits. Transits in astrology are the tracking of the planets (and points) above our head, what they are doing right now, what position they are in (sign) and what geometric angle or what relationship they are having to, not only the other planets in the sky but our own natal charts as well. I have never been one of those astrologers who checked their transits religiously in fact, I almost never check my transits at all! The short answer to why would be sheer laziness on my part. There have been times in my life when some happening had me running for my ephemeris (the big book of planetary movements) for answers to: “What the hell was that?” after it’s passing left me bleeding in the street. Anyway, after some time in this field of study I have just acquired enough experience that I can pretty much tell what kind of transit I am having by the flavor of it, the signature traits are just there and soon recognized as a familiar pattern. This usually applies only to the really big transits, the ones from the powerful outer planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) as they make themselves known pretty fast, loud and long. However, with this blog I will be moving into a new territory on my map, requiring me to monitor more closely some of the smaller, faster planetary movements and the effect they have on me and consequently, all of us. This will be a fun learning experience for me. (Spoken like a true Gemini rising) One “planet” I am starting to gain some new feeling of movement from is the Moon. (Yes, we astrologers know that the Moon is not a planet but in astrology the Sun and Moon are called planets) The Moon moves very fast and it’s effects on people are likewise fleeting. However it can make a big difference in a day, one day in our lives. A lot can happen in a day can’t it? The Moon can act like a trigger to a larger transit gun that is pointed straight at your life. BOOM! Even if the pieces take weeks, months or even years to sort themselves out, the Moon by it’s movement will make this particular day your day of reckoning by adding it’s energy to the Neptune or Pluto transit already in the works. When we don’t have major transits sitting on us or in our natal charts, times are quieter. Then the Moon is a daily barometer of every day life. What kind of day did I have today? How did I feel? How did everyone around me feel? What is the mood out there anyway? The sign the moon is in and where it sits in my chart and yours will tell us that. Tomorrow it will all be different…after all, tomorrow is another day!

When I started my love affair with astrology in 1968 I never suspected it would take over my life. I guess that is what happens when you have a passion for something, you become obsessed. (Obsession is ruled by the planet Pluto by the way.) After all the studying, doing astrology readings and teaching,astrology is just the way I look at life now period.What a life it is and what a life we all have, filled with portent and meaning at every turn if we only have a way to think about it. Astrology has always given me (and my clients) a wonderful perspective because it’s hard to get a handle on things, to really sit back and become the observer of your own life, while you are living it. The astrological natal chartis a personal compass and the best road map I have found when I am trying to get from here to where ever. When I am out in the woods or in town observing life, astrology is a way to describe not only what is, but what is happening and why. Every process in nature and that includes human nature, has an astrological category, like a ruling planet or sign that helps me to connect with it and get more insight and here I will share that as I may.

Well, I was busy doing my thing this Sunday and suddenly realized it was lunch time and I was famished. Thoughts of Cheezits ran through my head..my dark self whispered it would be much easier and faster to just grab the box and munch, “after all we’re soooo hungry, just do it”. Then I remembered I had leftovers in the fridge…These leftovers were not a run of the mill soggy casserole that no one wanted to finish, but a fresh salad together with rice and beans. It took only a minute to have a nice bowl of half salad, half rice, beans, hot sauce, cilantro and onions. Whew! I was SAVED. Now sitting here thoroughly satisfied I had to reflect a little on this intervention. If I hadn’t had what I really loved in that fridge and it wasn’t waiting for me I would have been a goner. In diet books I always read that we should keep something ready in the fridge for such times and I think trying to be virtuous we dutifully peel carrots and scrape celery and put them in bags stocking up our Frigidaire with what we think we should eat. It occurs to me that this is a nice idea but if you can’t get excited about veggie sticks then that isn’t going to help you when the hunger pangs hit. Also just having leftovers available really isn’t going to cut it either if you weren’t crazy about the meal the first time around. I am frugal but it finally dawned on me a few years ago what leftovers were going to “sell” in the family and which were going to sit around until they changed their molecular structure and had to be discarded with nose held. Now, the only leftovers that end up on the shelf are the ones we really love. Mexican food is big for us so anything of that nationality gets boxed or bagged. I try and make extra of whatever we love when I am cooking for the purpose of tasty meals later on. Whole wheat pasta, even plain, in a plastic dish has many fast lunch possibilities as long as Olive Oil and Parmesan cheese are around the house. Rice, ditto. Whenever I make salad I make a huge bowlful and then it is ready for a side dish or a meal with cottage cheese, nuts, whole wheat toast or even a slice of cheese. These leftovers can obviously come in handy for a quick dinner too! The point is: have what you really love that is healthy (not what you think you should love) sitting around, prepared in a way that is ready for fast consumption and then just watch the portions (that’s why a side salad helps). You can have a healthy lunch that you can really enjoy and still feel virtuous.

All my life I have had digestive issues. For some unknown reason this is the weakest link in my body and I am prone to all sorts of miserable maladies. Since this blog is more about eating than the results of it, I won’t go too far into the gory details, but those who share these problems know what I mean: constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, flatulence, irritable bowel, you name it, I’ve had it. To make matters even worse I have food allergies/sensitivities and hypothyroidism. Even if these problems only plague you once in a while they are a sign that food isn’t being processed the way it should and that is not a good thing for your overall health. Our digestive system is comprised of some of the largest organs in the body, the intestines alone are, on average, 25 feet long or ten times the length of the body. When they aren’t working right it’s going to be pretty noticeable. Right up there with the heart and brain, the digestive system is what keeps the body running. It must take all the food and drink that we consume and turn it into something our bodies can use. Not just energy giving fuel but nutrients to renew and replace every cell in our bodies. Think about this for a moment, really think about it. Whatever you eat or drink is ALL your body has to accomplish the monumental task of making all new cells, nourishing all the organs, provide internal heat, growing nails, hair, etc.and having enough left over to give you the energy to get out of bed every morning and think about your day. That’s a pretty tall order. This is the thing that stops me dead every time I start to eat a donut or a bag of chips. I ask myself: “Is this going to help my body with it’s goal of keeping me going and feeling good about it? What am I providing for the processes it must get done today?” We’ve got to have some sympathy for this vehicle of ours, working so hard to keep us moving so we can live our lives the way we want to. When I hear people say things like: “I don’t eat much I just live on diet soda” or “The only vegetable I’ll eat is potato” I cringe. How can their bodies work without the variety of foods it so desperately needs? We hear a lot about eating right to prevent disease but there isn’t much discussion about eating for the daily regulation of the body. This is the most basic and supremely important thing to eat for; to help your body thrive. If you do this you don’t have to worry about diseases. Although it doesn’t feel like it, maybe I’ve been lucky to have had digestive problems since age 4 because without them I may not have found the will power to change my 50’s era diet into something healthier. When you collapse on the bathroom floor in pain you don’t run back to the table to have another slice of pizza. When the digestive system revolts you can’t fight it you have to work with it. My system certainly has made me aware of it, what it needed and where I was going wrong. For everyone else not on the bathroom floor there’s a difficulty in comprehending what the body needs or is asking for. When it ain’t broke we don’t fix it. Except that it is broke. The incidence of diseases rising every day are telling us that we are doing things wrong, but as long as we are able to get up and get going we won’t think about it until we get that life changing diagnosis. Then it’s too late. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not a saint. I love pizza and cookies and chips just as much as the next guy. I just do my darndest to cram my diet as much as possible with fresh veggies, fruit, and whole grains. Then I have a cookie or two or a handful of chips (putting them in a small bowl so I don’t pig out, because I will if I am not careful!) I just try and remember that my body needs me as much as I need it. I want to feel good every day, I want to have a lot of energy to accomplish my goals. To have quality of life, that’s what we all want. So please think of your body, of all it’s doing for you every day of your life and give it something good to go on today and always. You’ll be glad you did.